Parliament rejects Pakistan National Assembly resolution

NEW DELHI: The border incidents and recent tension in ties between India and Pakistan have escalated into an exchange between Parliaments of the two countries by way of sternly-worded resolutions.

India rejected a resolution passed by Pakistan's National Assembly on Tuesday as making "absolutely baseless and unfounded allegations against the Indian Army and the people of India". In a resolution adopted unanimously by both houses of Parliament, India underscored that "it was the Pakistan Army that was involved in the unprovoked attack on an Indian Army patrol on the Indian side of the Line of Control on August 6".

The attack that killed five Indian soldiers and the subsequent exchange of political statements on both sides have plunged bilateral ties into yet another round of uncertainty-a routine that has for long marked diplomatic relations between the two neighbours. A proposed resumption of secretary-level talks and a scheduled meeting between the two prime ministers in New York in September are both now under a cloud as civilian engagement on both sides have also been hit.

"India is not a threat to Pakistan or the people of Pakistan. It is the terrorist groups that have been nurtured by Pakistan to target India and have become the biggest threat to peace in the region," the resolution says.

India has reiterated that the "entire state of Jammu and Kashmir including the territory forcibly and illegally occupied by Pakistan is an integral part of India and will always remain so". The resolution also called upon Pakistan to abide by the 2003 ceasefire in letter and in spirit.

India's resolution, coming as it did on Pakistan's independence day, followed a resolution by the National Assembly of that country accusing Indian troops of "unprovoked aggression by Indian military forces". Pakistan has rejected the involvment of its army in the LoC incident. The resolution by Pakistan also deplored the "unjustified public vilification of Pakistan in the Indian media".

The government came under pressure from the BJP to immediately pass a resolution countering the one passed by Pakistan. The government was embarrassed in Parliament after the defence minister was forced by the BJP's intervention to change his statement in the house about the involvement of Pakistan army in the LoC incident last week.

This time however, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid discussed the draft of the resolution with senior BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Yashwant Sinha.